Chapter 16 of Grit is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Grit is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN UNWELCOME VISITOR. Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry. "Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought. "It can't be Grit. They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
Chapter 16 of Grit is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading “Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.”
an item inserted in a written record
From this reading “Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.”
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading “Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.”
a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone
From this reading “"It can't be Grit.”
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading “Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.”
-ing form of “scuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading “Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.”
not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure
From this reading “AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.”
someone who visits
From this reading “AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.”
become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
In this reading “They wouldn't be likely to come home together."”
In this reading “Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "It can't be Grit.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It can't be Grit.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
an item inserted in a written record
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone
From this reading "It can't be Grit.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It can't be Grit.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
-ing form of “scuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure
From this reading AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.
someone who visits
From this reading AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
at the time that
From this reading Mrs. Brandon was laying the cloth for dinner when she heard a scuffling sound, as of footsteps, in the entry.
which person or people
From this reading "Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Who is with Mr. Brandon?" she thought.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They wouldn't be likely to come home together."
Chapter 16 of Grit by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 127 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 16 holds 127 sentences of Grit, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Grit by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 127 sentences, grouped into 26 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Grit by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4300 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54195 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54195, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 358 minutes of reading across 860 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Grit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Grit to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Grit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
